Car-fender



C, P. MAINS.

CAR FENDER.

No.' 558,404.- PateneaApr. 14, 1896* h mm] m..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE P. MAINS, oE CLEVELAND, oHI'o.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,404, dated April 14, 1896.

' Application filed January 4, 1896. Serial No. 574,408. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CLAUDE P. MAINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in car-fenders and the objects of the invention are to provide a quickly-operative device for picking up the persons caught upon the cartracks before their bodies are within reach of the car Wheels or trucks and holding them safely until the car can be stopped.

My invention consists in the receiving-net and supporting devices therefor and means for raising the same off from the track, with the arrangement and adjustment of the various parts, as hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of the car, showing the device supported thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car with the platform broken away to show the fendersup ports.

In the drawings, 1 is the car-platform5 2, the dashboard. 3 is a netting of wire or cord which depends from atransverse bar 4, crossing in front of the dashboard. The upper edge is stiffened by means of the rod 5, and an elastic connection with the bar is obtained by means of the connecting-springs 6, placed at suitable intervals. The lower edge of this netting projects forward and downward to within a few inches of the track, where it is supported upon the transverse bar 7, which passes at each side to the rear at 8 and passes through the adjustable sleeves 9, which are pivoted at 10 to the adjustable upright 11. 'Weights 12 at the extremities of the side arms are adjustable thereon to balance the weight of the net and transverse bar. The adjustable upright is seen to be a threaded rod provided with a nut 13 and cross-head 14, which moves upon the guides 15 upon the bracket 16.

The netting is raised and lowered by means of the lever 17 on the front of the platform, the lower part of which is seen to be fixed at 10 adjustably to the cross-bars 19 and 2O from the pivoted arms. Atoothed segment 22 upon the platform is engaged by the pawl 23 upon the lever 17 and sustains the net and supporting-arms at any desired height above the rail, and by releasing the lever the net will fall upon the rail and will be kept in close contact therewith by its own weight.

At 24 are seen steel sh oes, which protect the arms from wear, and springs 25 protect the fender and load from sudden shock. These arms are secured in front and pass looselyY through the guides 26 in the rear.

In action when a body is taken into the net the springs which sustain it from above will yield so that the net will form a bag to hold the netting taut as soon as the body is removed.

The bar or rail 4 has the especial function of serving as a hand-rail for a person struck by the car when standing up. Its height above the pavement should be such that a person could grasp it and save himself from falling.

W'hen a body has been caught in the net, the fender is raised to clear the ground until the car stops, while in the meantime the body is entirely safe from any injury, the great advantage of which is obvious.

27 is a removable rubber fender, made from hose-pipe, carried around and fastened to the side arms of the fender-rod by means of forked clamps 28. This will prevent bruising the body of'a person struck by the fender, and more of these may be arranged across the surface of the netting, if desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a car-fender, in combination with a bottom rail pivotally supported from adjustable bearings on the car-platform provided with counterweights on its rear extremities, and reinforced in front with metal shoes,of springs underneath the shoes, an upper guard-rail upon the dashboard, a netting provided with a stiffening-rod at the upper end and secured at the lower end to the bottom rail, and springs connecting the guard-rail and upper edge of the netting, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 9th day of November, 1895.

CLAUDE P. MAINS. lVitnesses:

WM. M. MONROE, C. H. OLDs.

IOO 

